Chapter 170
Shen Xuanqing pretended to be hurt, making people angrier the more they listened. Lu Gu's brows were tightly knit, but he didn’t know how to argue back or hit someone to vent his anger. After a long while, he finally smacked Shen Xuanqing’s arm in frustration, then turned his face and body away, resolved not to speak to Shen Xuanqing until they got home. Even looking at the piglets with their legs tied was better than looking at Shen Xuanqing.
Shen Xuanqing laughed freely, but when he turned back, he was met with the sight of Lu Gu's retreating back - clearly, he was angry. He quickly begged for mercy: "I was wrong, I was wrong. If you want to hit me, go ahead. Anger hurts the body. If Mother finds out later, who knows how she’ll scold me."
Though he said this, his voice was still laced with laughter. Lu Gu, sitting on the edge of the cart, scooted further back and continued ignoring him.
Shen Xuanqing’s starry eyes still sparkled with amusement. He feigned a cough to hide his unstoppable laughter and added, "Fine, I’m the pig. It’s me grunting, alright?"
The moment he finished speaking, the cart jolted, and the piglet lying at the back immediately let out a squeal. Lu Gu couldn’t help but laugh, his brows smoothing as he turned back to face forward.
Shen Xuanqing hadn’t expected such perfect timing, but seeing his fulang smiling with crescent eyes, not a trace of anger left, he felt happy too.
When they got home, Wei Lanxiang was sweeping the backyard and came to the front at the noise. Seeing they had brought back piglets, she was overjoyed and immediately called for Shen Yaoqing to help carry them to the pigpen in the back.
With four of them working together, Lu Gu also pitched in. The piglets’ legs were tied, so they couldn’t kick or struggle, only squirm in their hands. Lu Gu, accustomed to physical labor, easily handled the twenty-catty piglet.
"Woof!"
Guaizi and the other dogs riled up by the sight of the little pigs, barked incessantly, their tails wagging wildly. When Lu Gu picked up a piglet, Guaizi even stood on his hind legs to sniff its rear.
In the backyard’s cattle pen, the calf had grown since last year but remained docile. It let out a couple of low moos at the sight of people. Lately, Lu Gu had been letting it out to graze when he had time. Tender green grass had sprouted, and the calf would spend an hour or two outside, swishing its tail as it ate.
The pigpen had long been built. Lu Gu placed the piglet inside, and Shen Xuanqing, the last to enter, kicked the wooden gate shut to keep the dogs out. Then, Shen Xuanqing untied the piglet's legs, knowing Guaizi might have chased it otherwise.
Freed, the piglet squealed and scurried to a corner, all four huddling together. Wei Lanxiang watched delightedly, calling "luo-luo-luo" to coax them over.
"Once they’re used to being fed in a couple of days, they’ll come," Shen Yaoqing said with a laugh.
Raising pigs was a big deal. Most families in the village raised one or two, so buying four at once was a significant investment. Wei Lanxiang was thrilled beyond words and immediately set off to cook pig feed and gather wild greens, walking so briskly no one could stop her.
The piglets, just brought home, weren’t yet accustomed to the new place, but they’d adjust. The three of them walked out, and Shen Xuanqing secured the gate to prevent escapes. Each piglet cost two qian of silver which was quite expensive, but by year’s end, they could be slaughtered. If raised well, each could sell for over three taels.
[1 tael of silver = 10 qian of silver]
The four piglets totaled eight qian, split equally between the brothers, and the profits from future pork sales also divided evenly.
Standing outside the pen, Shen Xuanqing pointed to one with black spots on its rump and told Shen Yaoqing, "That one’s uncastrated, we’ll keep it as a breeding boar for piglets later."
This had been discussed earlier. Shen Yaoqing nodded, noting that this one needed extra care to ensure robust offspring.
Hearing the calf moo, possibly thirsty or hungry, Lu Gu went to check. The stone trough still had dry grass, but water was low. Luckily, Shen Yaoqing had fetched a bucket earlier, so Lu Gu poured half in. The midday sun was scorching today, so the animals’ water didn’t need to be warmed.
As the calf drank, Lu Gu patted its head, its horns had grown since last year. Like people, cattle had different temperaments. Their calf was affectionate, never minding being touched. When younger, it had even imitated Guaizi by nuzzling people.
The two dogs following Lu Gu knew the calf well, often romping around the yard with Guaizi. Meanwhile, Guaizi remained by the pigpen, tilting his head to peer inside through the wooden slats.
Seeing the calf had drunk its fill, Lu Gu noted how quickly the water level had dropped - proof of the saying "drinks like an ox." With nothing else to do, he called to Shen Xuanqing, "I’ll take the calf out to graze."
Shen Xuanqing, picking up a bamboo basket nearby, replied, "Let’s go together. I’ll dig up some wild greens for the pigs. Shen Yan is out with the ducks."
With so many animals at home, dry grass was still the main feed, but they gathered fresh greens daily for variety. Once the grass grew taller, they could hire He Zhi and his fulang to cut more.
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